Mazda RX8 Kuro Special Edition
Japanese tends to be one of the trickier languages for westerners to master but heres a start; kuro means black. Now, on your next visit to Japan, you can describe for locals the visual impression experienced when no visible light reaches the eye, point out the shirt colour favoured by the New Zealand rugby team or advise ladies on the best cocktail dress to choose for a formal dinner. All useful stuff, if youre in Japan. If you happen to be in the UK, bandying the Japanese word for black about is only likely to get you a series of blank looks, unless youre in your local Mazda dealership where it could land you the latest special edition version of Mazdas RX-8 coupe.
The Mazda RX-8 Kuro is yet another in an ever lengthening line of Mazda RX-8 special edition models. Mazda set the president for sportscar specials by inundating us with adventurously themed versions of their previous generation MX-5 now the current MX-5 and the RX-8 are getting the same treatment so there must be something in it. Only 500 Kuro models will be available to UK customers and each one is individually numbered, so while RX-8 special editions as a whole seem destined to become increasingly commonplace, the Kuro will always retain an element of exclusivity. So what do you get? Well, predictably, you can have any colour you want as long as its black.
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"Black, it seems, is back."
The Kuro is further differentiated from standard RX-8s and the growing band of other special edition models by the Stone-coloured leather trim that shows up on the seats and various other bits of interior trim. Theres also a leather steering wheel, gearknob and handbrake lever with coordinated stitching. Buyers will be able to tell which RX-8 Kuro theyve got by checking out the number on the Kuro branded stainless steel scuff plates. The beating heart of all Mazda RX-8s is that idiosyncratic engineering marvel, the RENESIS Wankle rotary engine and the Kuro gets the most powerful version packing some 231bhp.
We wont go into the intricacies of how the Wankle unit works but when you hear that this highly respectable power output is achieved from just 1.3 litres of capacity, youll get the gist its very clever. Quite unlike any other engine, the RX-8s unit wheezes and sighs its way around the road network with the sound growing in intensity as you approach the redline at a fearsome 8,200rpm. Its great fun and the whole experience is enhanced but the direct steering, the taught, grippy chassis and the snappy gearchange with its tiny palm-sized triangular shifter.
The 0-62mph sprint is covered by the Kuro in a handy 6.4s and theres a 146mph top speed so this is a serious performance car. Torque isnt a rotary engine strong suit and the 211Nm maximum at 5,500rpm means that theres not much muscle through the rev Range but that doesnt matter because the RX-8s top end is so intoxicating. This is a 1.
3-litre petrol engine but dont expect 1.3-litre petrol engine economy. You pay for all that character and performance in the form of 25mpg combined fuel economy that will drop noticeably if you drive the RX-8 in the way that it constantly urges you to and 284g/km emissions. The RX-8 is nothing if not distinctive and the Kuro special edition makes it even more so but does it warrant selection ahead of capable and desirable rivals like the Mercedes C-Class Sports Coupe, Alfa Romeos Brera, Nissans 350Z or Audis TT? Lets look at it from a practical perspective where the RX-8s innovative layout should shine.
If you have any intention of travelling with more than one passenger on anything a approaching a regular basis, the Mazda is the only sensible choice in this company. The rear accommodation in most models of this type is fairly ludicrous. At best, theyll take a couple of small children, at worst; there are no back seats at all. The Mazda, by contrast, can cope with two adults without any fuss with simple access via the wide side door aperture.
You get a decent boot as well, so family weekends away are easily within the cars remit. Audis interior design and build is peerless in this sort of company and although the Mazda RX-8 is very well assembled, it cant really live with the TTs brand of top level Teutonic efficiency. The Germans tend to be a pretty sober bunch, however, and if youre interested in the kind of excitement that this Mazda is capable of serving up on a contorting B-road, the RX-8 might be preferable. You feel like youre in a sports car from the moment you slip behind the wheel with the snug seating and the high transmission tunnel that splits the cab into four pods.
The dash is sensibly laid out with aluminium detailing and moody dark plastic of various finishes. The Kuro special edition adds a more aggressive element to the RX-8s distinctive visuals and it also tempts customers with a compelling pricetag. At £23,995, its £505 less than the equivalent model from the standard Range and when you add in that special leather interior, the fetching alloy wheels and the Kuros exclusivity, the deal looks better still. If you like the mean and moody look for your sportscars, the RX-8 Kuro has to be the model to go for.
Black, it seems, is back.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Mazda RX-8 Kuro special edition
PRICES: £23,995 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 16
CO2 EMISSIONS: 284g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 146mph / 0-60mph 6.4s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 25.2mpg (combined)
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 4430/1780/1340mm
